Sword and shield. (Clinton, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1887-02-26

Greeting Twala. King Of the Kukuanas," F"
l answered.
'White people, whence come ye, and what
seek ye?'
I'VE come from the stars, ask US not
hes We come 70 see this land"
..Ye come from far to see a little thing.
AL that man with >e,' pointing to limbo
pa. does he too come from the14s~rs"'
Even 50; there are people of thy color in
the heavens above; but ask not OF matters
too high Tor thee, Twala, the king
"Ye speak with a loud voice, people of the
stars, Iwala answered, i'll tpue which
scarcely Fixed Remember thSt the star
are far off, AMI ye are here. How If | make
lie as him whom they bear awas:'
iIauehed ON loud. though there WAS little
laughter in my heart.
on, king" ! said, ''be careful, walk va
rilp over hot stones. lest tEnu shoudst burn
tltr feet: hold the spear by the handle, lest
thou sIoudst cut thy hands. Touch but one
hair Of our heads, and destruction shall como
upon thee. What, have not these pointing
to lnfadooS and Scragga (who, young villain
tha5. he was, was employed II cleaning the
blood of the soldier oil his Speal), told thee
what manner Of men we are? Hast thou
ever seen the like Of us?' and | pointed 70
GOOD, feeling quite sure that lie had never
seen anybody before who looked in the least
like him as he then appeared.
'It is true / have not, safd the kim
"Haye they not told thee how we strike
with death from aiar?'
sThey have told me, but / believe them
not. Let me see you Kill. Kill me man
among those who stand yonder and he
pointed to the opposite sitof the kraai !
and | will believe"
Nay" / answered; I'VE shed no blood oi
man except in just punishment; but if yot
wi! see, bid thy servants drive in an o1
through the kraal gates. and before he ha'
run twenty PAGES | Will strike him dead"
Nay" laughed the king, xiii me man
and | will believe"
Good, OH. king, 50 be it." answered
coolly; ''do thou walk across the open space
apd before thy feet reach the gate thou shal
be dead; or il thou wilt not, send thy sol
Scragga" (whom at that moment it woulC
have given me much pleasure to shoo0.N
On hearing this suggestion Scragga gave
sort OF howl, and bolted into the hut.
Twala frowned majestically; the sugges
ten did not please him.
sfet young OK be Griyen in, he said.
Two men ut once departed, running swift
~
Now, Sir Henry" sail !, do you shoot
/ want to show this rnilian that | am not th'
only magician Of the party
Sir Henry accordingly took the express,
and made ready.
Il hope | shall make : good shot" h
groaned.
"You must, answered. IF you ms
with the first barrel let him haze the second
S.ght for one hundred and aitg yards, an
wait till the beast turns broadside ON. i
Then came a pause, til presently s.
caught sight Of al OK running straight u
the kraal gate 1t came on through the So,
and them catching sight of tle vast con
course of people stopped stupidity, tuMe
round, and beloved.
..NoWs your time, whispered.
UpWent the r.tla
Bang! thul! and the oX was kicking q
his back, shot III the ribs. the semi-hoiloy
bullet had done It's work well and Sigh {
astouishment went UP frcm the assemble
thousands.
| turned coolly round
''Iaye | lied, OH, king?'
Nav. white man, it is a truth" was til
somewhat awed answer.
''Listen. Twala, | went Oh. "Thou has
seen. Now know we come in peace, not i
war See here (and | held up the VIII
chester repeater; "here is hollow sta
that shall enable you to kill even as we xii
only this charm lay upon it, thou shalt XII
no man with it. If thou liftest it against
man it shall kill thee. Stay, l will show the,
Bid a man step forty PAGES and place til
shaft Of spear in the ground so that the Il;
blade looks toward u.s.
In "a few seconds it was Gone
Now, see, | will break the spear"
Taking careful sight | fired. The bullc
struck the fiat of the spear, and broke tn
blade III fragments.
Again the sigh Of astonShment went III
Now, TwaIa' (handing Ism the rifle
''this magic tube we give to thee, andby an
by will show thee how to use it but bt
ware how thou uSest the magic OF the Stal
against man Of earth" and handed hil
the rifle. lie took it very gingerly, and lai
it down at his feet As he did So | observe
the wizened monkey like figure creeping Il
from the shadow Of the hut. 1t crept on al
fours. but when 1t reached the place whel
the king sat, it rose upon its feet, and throw
ing the furry covering off its face, revealed
most extraordinary and weird countenanct
It was apparently that of woman {
great age. so shrunken that in size it was II
longer than than that of year-Old chill
and was made up of collection of deep We
low wrinkles. Set in the wrinkles was
sunken slit that represented the mouth, b.
meath which the chin curved outward to
noint. There was no nose to speak OF; Il
deed. the whole countenance might haV
been taken for that Of a Sun-dried corpse ha
If not been for a pair of large black eye
still fnll of fire and intelligence, Whlc
cleaned and played under the snow-whit
eyebrows, and the projecting parchmen
colored skull, like jewels in a charnel-house
AS for the skull itself, it was perfectly bare
and yellow in hue.
The figure to whom this fearful connten
ance. which caused shiver of fear to pas
through us as we gazed on it, belonged
stood still for moment, and then suddenl,
projected skinny claw armed with nail
nearly an inch long and laid it on the should
er of Twala, the king, and began to speak il
a thin, piercing voice:
'Listen, o kingl Listen, Opeoplel Lis
ten, D mountains and plains and rivers
home of the Kukuana racel Listen. 0 skie